Gaming Piracy Report

Introduction

CEG TEK International measured activity on the BitTorrent® peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing network in the week leading up to the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles.

Method

Utilizing CEG TEK's proprietary detection software, designed with several unique abilities, including tracking without actively participating in peer-to-peer networks, download demand activity was measured in the days leading up to Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). The games monitored were based on a list of 60 popular video game titles.

Result

In excess of 2.5M unique peers (users) worldwide illegally shared those games daily using the BitTorrent® peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing network.

Among video games that saw the most infringements were Ubisoft’s newly released action-adventure game and E3 award winner “Watch Dogs,” which had 253,417 users illegally sharing the game daily. The latest in the Sims franchise published by Electronic Arts, “The Sims 3,” was the second most-pirated title with 172,588 daily worldwide infringements, followed by the perennial favorite from Mojang, “Minecraft,” with 151,948 worldwide.

Among video game publishers, Electronic Arts led with the most piracy among its titles making the list, with 606,471 unique peers worldwide illegally sharing 13 of the titles on the top 60 list. Ubisoft was second with 412,183 worldwide infringements daily on five titles, followed by Rockstar Games with 212,442 worldwide infringements on four titles daily.

Exhibit 1 - P2P Piracy by Publisher

Publisher / Game

Gross Unique Peers (Users) Worldwide

Gross Unique
Peers (Users)
U.S.

Electronic Arts

606,471

16,393

The Sims 3

172,588

8,410

Need for Speed: Most Wanted

102,054

1,186

FIFA 14

101,582

1,122

Need For Speed: Rivals

50,042

929

Battlefield 4

38,292

814

Battlefield 3

29,989

381

Need for Speed: Underground 2

28,153

473

Need For Speed: Carbon

23,676

305

Mass Effect 3

15,664

679

Dead Space 3

14,392

330

SimCity 2013

12,376

773

Mirror's Edge

9,932

324

Dragon Age Origins

7,731

667

UbiSoft

412,183

17,904

Watch Dogs

253,417

11,504

Far Cry 3

64,498

1,141

South Park: The Stick of Truth

40,692

3,360

Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag

33,602

1,012

Child of Light

19,974

887

Rockstar Games

212,442

3,999

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

86,909

1,648

Grand Theft Auto IV

83,404

1,431

Max Payne 3

25,248

429

Grand Theft Auto V

16,881

491

Bethesda Softworks

194,902

9,476

Wolfenstein: The New Order

112,778

4,204

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

82,124

5,272

Microsoft

151,948

6,592

Minecraft

151,948

6,592

Activision

124,409

3,902

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

52,036

1,875

Call of Duty: Ghosts

50,416

1,186

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

15,792

760

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

6,165

81

Square Enix

88,426

3,370

Thief

44,869

1,132

Hitman: Absolution

24,178

590

Murdered: Soul Suspect

11,943

1,278

Deus Ex Human Revolution

7,436

370

SCS Software

67,046

583

Euro Truck Simulator 2

67,046

583

Warner Home Video Games

66,158

1,607

Mortal Kombat Komplete

33,547

697

Batman Arkham Origins

32,611

910

Red Barrels Games

64,685

1,517

Outlast

64,685

1,517

Telltale Games

63,360

3,563

The Walking Dead

47,860

2,442

The Wolf Among Us

15,500

1,121

Coffee Stain Studios

54,276

2,529

Goat Simulator

54,276

2,529

Sega

51,627

1,285

Football Manager 2014

30,733

366

Total War: Rome II

20,894

919

Konami

51,604

244

Pro Evolution Soccer 2014

51,604

244

Kalypso Media USA

41,223

2,167

Tropico 5

32,275

1,692

Tropico 4

8,948

475

2K

36,710

2,362

NBA 2K14

25,801

1,386

Sid Meier's Civilization V

10,909

976

Bandai Namco Games America Inc.

35,136

2,197

Dark Souls II

35,136

2,197

Kiloo Games

33,187

218

Subway Surfers

33,187

218

Deep Silver

31,546

698

Metro: Last Light

31,546

698

Ndemic Creations

25,406

918

Plague Inc: Evolved

25,406

918

Majesco

23,844

489

Bound by Flame

23,844

489

Krillbrite Studios

23,817

1,383

Among The Sleep

23,817

1,383

Blizzard Entertainment

22,779

2,609

World of Warcraft

16,045

1,846

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

6,734

763

Supergiant Games

14,337

1,448

Transistor

14,337

1,448

Shining Rock Software

14,167

1,181

Banished

14,167

1,181

Tecmo Koei America Corporation

12,736

872

Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends

12,736

872

XSEED Games

9,837

382

Killer is Dead

9,837

382

Valve Corp

7,691

348

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II

7,691

348

Grand Total

2,541,953

90,236

Exhibit 2 - P2P Piracy by Game

Game / Publisher

Gross Unique Peers (Users) Worldwide

Gross Unique Peers (Users) U.S.

Watch Dogs / UbiSoft

253,417

11,504

The Sims 3 / Electronic Arts

172,588

8,410

Minecraft / Microsoft

151,948

6,592

Wolfenstein: The New Order / Bethesda Softworks

112,778

4,204

Need for Speed: Most Wanted / Electronic Arts

102,054

1,186

FIFA 14 / Electronic Arts

101,582

1,122

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas / Rockstar Games

86,909

1,648

Grand Theft Auto IV / Rockstar Games

83,404

1,431

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim / Bethesda Softworks

82,124

5,272

Euro Truck Simulator 2 / SCS Software

67,046

583

Outlast / Red Barrels Games

64,685

1,517

Far Cry 3 / UbiSoft

64,498

1,141

Goat Simulator / Coffee Stain Studios

54,276

2,529

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 / Activision

52,036

1,875

Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 / Konami

51,604

244

Call of Duty: Ghosts / Activision

50,416

1,186

Need For Speed: Rivals / Electronic Arts

50,042

929

The Walking Dead / Telltale Games

47,860

2,442

Thief / Square Enix

44,869

1,132

South Park: The Stick of Truth / UbiSoft

40,692

3,360

Battlefield 4 / Electronic Arts

38,292

814

Dark Souls II / Bandai Namco Games America Inc.

35,136

2,197

Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag / UbiSoft

33,602

1,012

Mortal Kombat Komplete / Warner Home Video Games

33,547

697

Subway Surfers / Kiloo Games

33,187

218

Batman Arkham Origins / Warner Home Video Games

32,611

910

Tropico 5 / Kalypso Media USA

32,275

1,692

Metro: Last Light / Deep Silver

31,546

698

Football Manager 2014 / Sega

30,733

366

Battlefield 3 / Electronic Arts

29,989

381

Need for Speed: Underground 2 / Electronic Arts

28,153

473

NBA 2K14 / 2K

25,801

1,386

Plague Inc: Evolved / Ndemic Creations

25,406

918

Max Payne 3 / Rockstar Games

25,248

429

Hitman: Absolution / Square Enix

24,178

590

Bound by Flame / Majesco

23,844

489

Among The Sleep / Krillbrite Studios

23,817

1,383

Need For Speed: Carbon / Electronic Arts

23,676

305

Total War: Rome II / Sega

20,894

919

Child of Light / UbiSoft

19,974

887

Grand Theft Auto V / Rockstar Games

16,881

491

World of Warcraft / Blizzard Entertainment

16,045

1,846

Call of Duty: Black Ops II / Activision

15,792

760

Mass Effect 3 / Electronic Arts

15,664

679

The Wolf Among Us / Telltale Games

15,500

1,121

Dead Space 3 / Electronic Arts

14,392

330

Transistor / Supergiant Games

14,337

1,448

Banished / Shining Rock Software

14,167

1,181

Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends / Tecmo Koei America Corp

12,736

872

SimCity 2013 / Electronic Arts

12,376

773

Murdered: Soul Suspect / Square Enix

11,943

1,278

Sid Meier's Civilization V / 2K

10,909

976

Mirror's Edge / Electronic Arts

9,932

324

Killer is Dead / XSEED Games

9,837

382

Tropico 4 / Kalypso Media USA

8,948

475

Dragon Age Origins / Electronic Arts

7,731

667

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II / Valve Corp

7,691

348

Deus Ex Human Revolution / Square Enix

7,436

370

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard Ent.

6,734

763

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows / Activision

6,165

81

Conclusion

The report provides a glimpse of the impact piracy has on game publishers while also highlighting a demand for specific games Worldwide some of which may be difficult to find in stores or online.

"BitTorrent" is a registered trademark of BitTorrent, Inc. All trademarks and registered trademarks other than "CEG" and "CEG TEK" are the property of their respective owners and are not associated with Copyright Enforcement Group, Inc. d/b/a CEG TEK International.